Yesterday I was reminded yet again how much pressure is put on people to expect to feel ‘up’ all the time and that, if they feel ‘down’ for some reason, there’s something wrong with them.

Someone I was talking to had had it suggested to them they see a doctor because they weren’t feeling too good. Of course a doctor would have probably prescribed anti-depressants to “even out’ their mood.

Our DPSN theme for August is ‘Connection’. Connection is a hugely important part of the human experience and this month we’ve asked our bloggers to reflect on how they connect to others, themselves or the world around them. We want to hear your thoughts on connection too, so let us know in the comments below, or jump over to our Facebook page to join the conversation.

As we continue to roll into 2017, we’ve decided to make March ‘change’ month on DPSN. We’ve asked our bloggers to let us know their thoughts on change – be it positive or negative experiences, how people cope with change in themselves or others, or how the world is changing around us. As always, we’re keen for you to be part of the conversation, so let us know your thoughts on change in the comments below, or jump over to our Facebook page to join the conversation.

The Language of Suffering was such an interesting blog post – I came across it before I started working for DPSN and I was working in the mental health sector. It stirred enough in me that I decided to comment (something I rarely do! ha!), and it’s still something I’m getting my head around – how do we talk about the hard stuff of mental illness, as well as balancing it with the positives that our unique brains bring us? What I took away from this post was that giving blanket rules about how to talk about Mental Illness isn’t helpful, because all our experiences, and ways of talking about it are – as always – diverse! – Sam